The Truth About the Ford Raptor

[Simcik]

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-truth-about-the-ford-raptor-1506180244/@matthardigree

[StalkerStang]

Awesome article Sim. I gotta admit, I was cringing before I opened the thread knowing what it usually means when the Dodge boys post something about Ford........

The article is spot on though. You can't buy a production vehicle and treat it like a full race car. As much as I would love for Ford to fix it when the public abuses their vehicles, I very much understand why they don't.

The frame issue with the Raptor is a good example, but so are any of the factory super and turbo charged vehicles. They made the snout of the supercharger on the GT500 just slightly smaller than the pulley to prevent people from putting even smaller pulleys on them to increase boost. They also have "black boxes" to data log boost levels for people who know hot to increase the boost without making obvious changes to the parts.

[Simcik]

Just goes to show that Ford has some of the best, but most over-exagerative marketers working for them.

"Here, buy our Trophy Truck and show off desert racing! We did the Baja 1000 with it! It's cool!" This is not a race truck. Don't race it. Especially not in the desert. It'll break. It's not a Trophy Truck.

[StalkerStang]

Marketing is exaggerated by all the makers.

I dont' remember Ford cramming the idea down our throats that its a trophy truck. Its race-inspired, it is off road capable, but its still a production truck.

Same with the Viper, Corvette, and any other sports car you can think of, they are all capable, but that does not mean an inexperienced driver is going to be able to do all the things its capable of.

[Simcik]

Okay, maybe some of that perception wasn't Ford's marketing directly, as much as the rest of the media - but that truck got hyped up into something it wasn't.

I found it interesting that they made a choice to make the frame weaker than the bumpstops. That to me, is silly. It appears they still haven't fixed this, but they did strengthen the frame...

[StalkerStang]

This kind of damage happened because an inexperienced driver took a production truck through unknown terrain at over 100 mph. WTF did you expect to happen?

Even the article said that the factors in the bending of the frame was because of the abrupt compression of the suspension past the travel the suspension had (could happen to any truck), and because it has polyurethane style bumpstops instead of hydraulic ones that would typically be used on a race truck, not a production truck.

Don't make it sound like its because "Ford chose to make the frame weaker than the bumpstop." Its a production 1/2 ton frame, not a tube frame built for that kind of abuse. Ford, Chevy, Toyota, and yes even DODGE trucks could experience this same thing if put into the hands of reckless drivers.

[Simcik]

Okay, calm down. I didn't mean it like that.

I just meant it seems strange to me that ANY bumpstop would be the hardest thing the axle would encounter. Sure, make it stiff, but stronger than the frame? That's just silly...

[TuxTshirt]

I'll put it in a nutshell for you guys.  The Raptor is clearly more off-road capable than a typical 1/2 ton.  However, it can't overcome physics.  Is that about right?

[Ex US Squid]

Whoa there Tux.... Seriously?   This is obviously a thread created for a pissin match.   Your logic is not appreciated here like it is on all your Youtube conversations.  So lets get back to the Sim and Stalker match...

Fight! Fight! Fight!..............Kiss, kiss, kiss

[Simcik]

Considering that I had both fish and asparagus for dinner last night, that might not be a good idea...

[StalkerStang]

I'll just shit on you.....

[Ex US Squid]

And then Sim can kiss it.....

[Sorta05]

Oh snap there's a third choice!

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/24/lingenfelter-announces-raptor-fighting-chevy-reaper/


Honestly I'd probably get the raptor.  Starting to really feel like a closet Ford fan...

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